


From View

by LittleLinor



Category: Cardfight!! Vanguard
Genre: Gen, Implied/referenced D/s relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-27 20:46:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13256307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleLinor/pseuds/LittleLinor
Summary: Mamoru hadn't expected his every-few-months bathhouse invitation to turn to relationship talk (but it does bring some nice surprises)





	From View

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not setting this firmly in any of my verses, especially bc I have a muuuuch longer fic on the topic that diverges from this one that's been in the works for... over a year. But this idea's been in my head since forever and I wanted to actually get it written.
> 
> Set in Some Kind Of Future. Is it a year? Is it three? Is it current canon and Next never existed? Who knows! I'm not trying to make everything fit intricately for once.

“Ibuki!”  
Ibuki turns. It's really a good omen that Mamoru was able to catch him after work like this; there's always the possibility of calling or texting him, but Mamoru finds it harder that way: there's something about Ibuki's guarded directness that sometimes makes it hard to figure out what he's thinking, and it's easier for him to just talk to him directly. Here at least he can judge his reactions and adapt accordingly to make sure that he's getting the right message across. So even if what he has to say is nothing too complicated, it's still easier for him to ask in person, not to mention it's always nice to get to see his friend. Especially when both of them are too often overworked, and Ibuki tends to be busy outside work these days.  
“Anjou,” Ibuki answers, with a quiet not-frown that feels like a real smile.  
Mamoru smiles back.  
“I'm glad I caught you. Are you doing anything on Friday?” Ibuki's eyes widen slightly, and he continues, winking. “I figured you'd already be booked on New Year's Eve itself.”  
“I am,” Ibuki answers with the slightest hint of a blush that almost makes Mamoru laugh. Really, it was worth talking face to face just for that sight. “And I can make time, I think.”  
“Should I say congratulations?” Mamoru teases. The way he knows Chrono, there's no way he would have passed on spending the New Year with his aunt, which means Ibuki got invited _along_. And teasing him about his romance aside, Mamoru's very, very relieved and happy to see Ibuki finally have something resembling a family again. Especially one that doesn't involve going back to the treatment his original one had given him.  
Ibuki just blushes further, and, to Mamoru's fond amusement, changes the topic.  
“Where did you want to go?”  
“I was thinking that we haven't been to the sauna in a while. It would be a good way to cleanse ourselves and start the new year refreshed, don't you think?”  
He'd expected Ibuki's usual slight shyness and quick dodge into calculated confidence: they go every few months, after all, and Ibuki's fairly comfortable around him in these circumstances by now. What he didn't expect was for him to freeze, eyes suddenly wide, as if remembering a sudden danger, as if Mamoru's offer actually was a surprise. His shoulders and hands are tense, too, enough that Mamoru frowns in worry.  
“Ibuki?”  
Ibuki blinks and looks down, blushing further, before shaking his head and looking back at him.  
“It's nothing.”  
“Are you sure? You seemed shocked there for a moment.”  
“It's…” He shakes his head. “It's nothing to worry about. I… I'd be happy to come.”

Having the baths to themselves is a luxury Mamoru will never tire of. Especially after a long day (week… month… ) of work.  
He meets Ibuki in front of the entrance, long after the sun's already set; Ibuki's been there for several minutes already, by the looks of it, and he almost tells him off for not going inside despite the cold, but it wouldn't do much good, and it's his fault for telling him to meet him there in the first place. He really needs to word those things better.  
Despite his obvious nervousness (something is _definitely_ amiss), Ibuki smiles when he sees him. It makes Mamoru's chest tighten a little, both in good and bad ways: Ibuki wouldn't do this kind of thing on his own, and it's both a little sad and a little… maybe flattering isn't the word, but there's something special about getting to do this with him. Giving him that opportunity to enjoy himself.  
The more friends he has to just enjoy things with him, he thinks, the better.  
“I'm not late, am I?” he asks as he walks up to Ibuki, despite being almost completely sure that he isn't.  
“No, you're fine. I planned for more transit time than I really needed.”  
“I don't blame you,” Mamoru chuckles. “There _are_ a lot of people out—you'd expect them to stay in with this cold.”  
“One of my staff offered me a ride home,” Ibuki sighs, and Mamoru laughs.  
“They're worried about you. I think it's sweet.”  
“I'm fine.” He softens a little, pulling his scarf in front of his mouth. “Better than I have been in a long time.”  
Mamoru smiles. More than the content, it's the admission itself that feels like progress.  
“Well, shall we go shelter from the cold inside? My fingers are starting to get cold even through the gloves.”  
Ibuki nods, and follows when Mamoru heads in.

If Ibuki was trying to not have whatever he's hiding brought up or to play it off casually, he's not doing a good job of it. All the secrecy and nervousness is just calling attention to him, and no matter how much Mamoru's trying to not point it out, his eyes and senses keep being drawn to him in a way that has nothing to do with his (admittedly very attractive) physique. But he doesn't want to ask; if Ibuki doesn't want to talk about it, it'd be rude and uncomfortable to force him to.  
They make some small talk as they start undressing (well, mostly Mamoru does, and Ibuki gratefully answers), until Ibuki trails off, distracted, his fingers hovering over the buttons of his shirt.  
His nervosity is so centered on his body that Mamoru fully expects to find him covered in love bites at this point.  
The truth is both not far off the mark and completely different.  
A sigh, and Ibuki's collar falls open, his fingers moving further down to the next button and revealing a glint of metal at his neck.  
No matter how hard he tries not to stare, Mamoru completely fails as the hints finally assemble themselves in his mind and the rest of Ibuki's shirt comes open.  
A collar. And not an inconspicuous one, either; he's seen some that could be passed for fashion accessories easily before, but this one is solid metal; no wonder Ibuki keeps it hidden under his clothes.  
“… it's a present,” Ibuki says quietly, and Mamoru mentally slaps himself because he was _still_ staring. But thankfully, Ibuki doesn't seem put off by it, just flustered.  
Almost as if a part of him was _hoping_ to have it called to attention, even as the rest of him wanted to keep it hidden.  
And maybe he does. If Mamoru's suspicions are right, then he wouldn't blame Ibuki for wanting to talk about it. If this is truly an important part of his life, then having to keep it silent must hurt, no matter how closed off he is about his private life when it comes to the public.  
He decides to test the waters, just in case.  
“From Chrono?”  
Ibuki nods, touching it lightly with a fingertip before taking his shirt off properly.  
He was right, then. And, when he thinks about it, not altogether surprised: like can recognise like, and Chrono had always had that vibe about him, but Mamoru hadn't expected it to bloom in that way, not so quickly at least. Usually it led people more towards instinctively taking control of responsibility positions, the way it did for his sister for example, but then again, Chrono hadn't exactly had a normal childhood or teenage years. There was always a strange intensity to him, like he didn't know how to not do things fully; maybe it applies to his relationships too. It's certainly part of why he hadn't worried when he caught wind of the relationship in the first place. If anyone could meet Ibuki with the appropriate sensitivity and active desire to care and still stand up for themself, it was Chrono.  
“It looks good on you,” he says, gently, and Ibuki visibly relaxes, nodding with a slight blush before moving to take off the rest of his clothes.

They don't talk about it as they head in, nor for a long while as they just enjoy the heat. But if anything, Ibuki actually looks _happier_ , free, as if something had been lifted from his shoulders. With his hair tied up, the collar's sitting at the base of his neck in full view, the smooth metal shining in the dim light, but thankfully Mamoru's professional face has finally recovered from his shock, and he manages to keep his eyes to Ibuki's face instead. And seeing the quiet glow on it is honestly worth it.  
It's quite a while later when he actually brings it up again, and by then both of them are more than a little sweaty and comfortably dizzy; they probably shouldn't stay in for too long.  
“About that collar,” he ventures, and to his relief Ibuki doesn't tense, only nodding slightly, “how long have you had it? If you don't mind saying.”  
“Roughly two months.”  
A couple of months after they'd gotten together, then. That's faster than he expected.  
Something must have shown on his face, because Ibuki sobers a little.  
“Is there a problem?”  
“Ah, no—I was just wondering—that kind of collar can't be removed without help, can it? Am I wrong?”  
He shakes his head.  
“You need the key and appropriate tools.”  
“I have no issues with that kind of relationship…” ( _understatement of the year_ , he adds mentally; maybe _that_ is something he should share with him one day), “but isn't going for something you can't remove yourself a little hasty at this point?”  
Chrono really didn't strike him as the kind of person who'd fall to unhealthily possessive and controlling extremes, but he has to wonder if the kid isn't a little in over his head.  
But Ibuki just shakes his.  
“No.” And then he _smiles_ , just a subtle little one but a fond and comfortable smile nonetheless. “I'm happy with it. It's something that no one can take away from me.”  
_Oh._ Well _there_ 's his reminder that judging the message and value of something based on his own perspective never makes for effective communication. It's something he's learned years ago as a fledgling public relations worker and then clan leader, and yet the confidence of sharing a reference and his experience have made him forget, and assume. Maybe he's become overconfident.  
What he saw as a mark of control, Ibuki saw as an endorsement, a protective claim.  
There's a value here that he'd never considered at all.  
“… I see,” he says, the gentle tone an apology and reassurance.  
And Ibuki nods, and smiles again, just for a fraction of second, the happiness flashing on his face before hiding again.  
Mamoru smiles. He's in good hands after all.  
“Was it your idea?” Mamoru asks, blinking sweat out of his eyes.  
“No—I don't…” He sighs. “He says I should ask for things more often.”  
“I'm inclined to agree with him.”  
Ibuki frowns—it's almost a pout and it's adorable. Mamoru laughs.  
“I'm not used to it,” Ibuki finally grumbles.  
“There's a start to everything,” Mamoru teases, and Ibuki sighs but nods, the red on his face not entirely caused by the heat.  
It _does_ seem to be getting to him, though, so Mamoru rises and offers him his hand.  
“I think I've had enough heat for tonight. Do I still get to invite you for dinner?” he adds, teasing.  
And to his relief, Ibuki chuckles.  
“Of course.”

(They have sushi again, and Ibuki doesn't even need alcohol to smile.)

**Author's Note:**

> One day I'll write an entire fic about Mamoru's Kinkdar and just how many things he's aware of that people think he's not.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Stray Snowflakes](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13263846) by [LittleLinor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleLinor/pseuds/LittleLinor)




End file.
